New Holy Byzantine Empire
:This nation has yet to be confirmed as a part of Altverse. ) ri shenjtë Perandoria Romake ( ) Новият Свещената Римска империя ( ) нови Светог римског царства ( ) |image_flag = ByzEmp Flag.png |alt_flag = |image_flag2 = |alt_flag2 = |image_coat = ByzEmp Coat.png |alt_coat = |symbol_type = Coat of Arms |national_motto = |national_anthem = |royal_anthem = |other_symbol_type = |other_symbol = |image_map = New Byzantine Empire Map.png |alt_map = |map_caption = Constituent countries and dependencies in red: includes constituent countries Greater Greece, Albania, the Slavic Union, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania, as well as dependencies Greek Cyrenaica, and Alexandria. |image_map2 = |alt_map2 = |map_caption = |capital = Constantinople |latd= 41 | latm= 0 | latNS= N |longd= 28 |longm= 58 |longEW= E |largest_city = Constantinople |official_languages = , , |membership = |membership_type = Constituent entities |demonym = Byzantine |regional_languages = , , , , , , , , |ethnic_groups = |ethnic_groups_year = |government_type = - hybrid |leader_title1 = Basileus |leader_name1 = Ivan II |leader_title2 = Imperial Minister |leader_name2 = Loukas Papadopoulos |legislature = Imperial Senate |upper_house = |lower_house = |sovereignty_type = Establishment |sovereignty_note = |established_event1 = Byzantium Easter |established_date1 = 10 April 1936 |established_event2 = Incorporation of Alexandria |established_date2 = 19 August, 1940 |established_event3 = Incorporation of Cyprus |established_date3 = 16 October, 1943 |established_event4 = Incorporation of the Kingdom of Romania |established_date4 = 26 February, 1945 |area = |area_km2 = 1103406 |area_sq_mi = 426027.5 |area_footnote = |percent_water = |area_label = |area_label2 = |area_data2 = |population_estimate = 139,753,021 |population_estimate_rank = |population_estimate_year = 2016 |population_census = 139,500,000 |population_census_year = 2013 |population_density_km2 = 126.42 |population_density_sq_mi = 327.44 |population_density_rank = |GDP_PPP = $5,595,643,125,820 |GDP_PPP_rank = |GDP_PPP_year = 2014 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $40,040 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = $4,783,749,340,000 |GDP_nominal_rank = |GDP_nominal_year = 2014 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $34,230 |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |Gini = 36.6 |Gini_ref = |Gini_rank = |Gini_year = 2014 |HDI = 0.888 |HDI_ref = |HDI_rank = |HDI_year = 2014 |currency = Bezant (฿) |currency_code = BBz |time_zone = |utc_offset = +1 to +2 |time_zone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = +2 to +3 |DST_note = |date_format = |drives_on = right (excluding Cyprus) |cctld = .bz |iso3166code = BZ |official_website = www.nhbempire.gov.bz |calling_code = +30 |vehicle_reg = |aircraft_code = SX |patron_saint = The Virgin Mary (as ) |footnote_a = |footnote_b = |footnote_h = |footnotes = }}The Holy Empire, officially known as the New Holy Byzantine Empire ( : Νέα Αγίας Ρωμαϊκής Αυτοκρατορίας, Néa Agías Romaïkís Aftokratorías), is a composed of 6 located in the , one capital district in the city of Constantinople, a total of 1,439 islands, and two . It is a - hybrid and the world’s only sovereign Christian (partial) theocracy with as the . However the state religion does not extend to the Holy Empire’s dependencies, Alexandria and Greek Cyrenaica, where only and are permitted without sanctions. The Holy Empire is bordered by seven nations, two of which, Egypt and Libya, each border one of the country’s two dependencies, Greek Cyrenaica (Libya) and Alexandria (Egypt). The other five border nations are Slovenia, , , and Moldavia to the north, and Turkey to the east. The is to the east, and the is to the south; the Holy Empire also maintains full control over the and the . The Holy Empire controls the Byzantine Straits, which demarcate the boundary between and , as well as separate and . The location of the empire at the continental crossroads of Europe and Asia make it a country of geostrategic importance. Making up the empire are six federally united constituent countries and one capital district: Greater Greece, Albania, the Slavic Union, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania, with the capital district located in Constantinople. Like the original, medieval Byzantine Empire, the New Holy Byzantine Empire is officially ruled by through the Basileus (emperor); however, the Basileus of the Holy Empire must observe the 1936 Convenant of Constantinople, which is considered a God-through-church-ordained imperial constitution. The Covenant establishes a three-branch system of imperial central government, each branch keeping the other two in check and overall maintaining a balance of power. The executive branch is headed by the Basileus, who is professionally represented by the Imperial Minister, as well as his Imperial Administration (Cabinet). The official legislature is the Imperial Senate, which is made up of senators elected by the legislative Representatives’ Councils in each constituent country as well as a hosting Premier who is selected by and reports directly to the Basileus/Prime Minister. The judicial branch consisting of the imperial court system is operated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the state church and head of all autocephalous East Orthodox churches in the world. The Patriarchate has held much judicial influence since 1930s, in which all establishments of law in the Holy Empire including public law schools have been operated by the Patriarchate. History Prehistory The majority of land now part of the Holy Empire lies in the , the first land to experience the arrival of civilization during the . The Balkans have been inhabited since the and are the route by which farming from the spread to during the Neolithic (7th millennium BC). Two early culture-complexes have developed in the region, and . The Balkans are also the location of the first advanced civilizations. Vinča culture developed a form of before the and , known as the , while the bulk of the symbols had been created in the period between 4500 and 4000 BC, with the ones on the Tărtăria clay tablets even dating back to around 5300 BC. In pre-classical and , this region was home to , , , , , and other ancient groups. Greece is notable during this time considering that it was the cradle of western civilization, and as such, is the birthplace of , , the , , , , major scientific and mathematical principles, and , including both tragedy and comedy. These areas later became subject to the dominion of the . Later the Roman Empire conquered most of the region and spread Roman culture and the Latin language, but significant parts still remained under influence. In , the decline of the Roman Empire saw its split between the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. The fall of the Western Roman Empire essentially began the , while the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the , lasted until 1453, in which it was conquered by the under the rule of . Early modern period The Ottomans ruled all of the Balkans until the 19th century which was the height of Balkan nationalism. Serbia was the first to revolt, followed by other Balkan nations, most notably Greece, which gained its independence with the full support of Europe’s great powers. In 1844 following Greek independence, Greek Prime Minister concieved the Megali Idea, a fragment of philosophy that involved Greece’s reconquest of its former territories dating back to the late Byzantine Empire. The last major successful independence movement in the Balkans was Bulgarian independence, which was achieved by 1877 yet at the cost of war between the and the Ottomans. A Russian victory was just another reminder of the Ottoman Empire’s decline. To prevent further escalations, the great powers of Europe met at the Congress of Berlin, in order to officially charter territory between the Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and the independent Balkan nations. However, the charter was unpopular with the Balkans, leaving Russia satisfied and allowing the Ottomans to keep much of its lost territories in the Balkans. Modern era To “right the wrongs” of the Congress of Berlin, a military alliance between three Balkans nations was formed in 1910, called the Balkan Coalition. The Balkan Coalition was coined by the newly elected Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos, who also turned the Megali Idea into a national agenda for Greece during his term. Weakened by the , the Ottomans struggled to maintain control in the Balkans, but were ultimately no match for the coalition forces. The Balkan Coalition delegated the agreed lands to each participant in the Balkan War. However, the territorial coalition agreement did not last long. The great European powers stepped in, forcing Greece to give Albania its independence and turning Serbian-conquested Bosnia and Croatia into an protectorate. These actions would drive angry Serbs against Austria-Hungary. 'World War I' In 1914, a Serbian national , triggering the global event known as World War I. In the Balkans, the war began with the Austrian invasion of Serbia. In 1915, Bulgaria joined the originally formed by the , Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Under the cult-of-personality politician, Venizelos, Greece remained neutral, where it could undergo development. It was during this period of neutrality that the Byzantine revival occurred. The event is attributed to the rise of the , which established societal dominion in Greece’s newly conquered lands and replacing the former influences of Peleponnesian aristocrats. The Megali idea was altered, no longer of a nationalist fervor but a religious one that could be shared by any Orthodox Christian no matter what nationality or ethnicity. From this emerged the popular Neo-Byzantine movement, which called for the revival of the Byzantine Empire that fell in 1453. This idea was significantly spread to other Balkan nations through war refugees returning to their homelands after seeking safety in neutral Greece during the conflict. The Venizelist regime at the time was known for developing a proto-fascist relationship between economy and government, with elements of corporatism and militarism. Greece emerged as the most powerful Balkan nation, and used the nearing decline of the Entente power by 1918 to attack Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, seizing Northern Macedonia, Bulgarian Thrace, and the Byzantine Straits, including the crown holy city of Constantinople. The reclamation of the city was considered a signal to the Neo-Byzantine movement that they were backed by divine interests. In the event of the , millions of fled Russia to Venizelos’ Greater Kingdom of Greece between 1919 and 1920. For the South Slavs, the downfall of Austria-Hungary after its defeat allowed them to unite under the . 'Greco-Turkish War' The Allies reduced the Ottoman Empire to just the state of Turkey following its defeat. The last sultan, , was forced to sign the , which officially reduced Ottoman borders to Turkey and allowed the Allies to partition its former territories among themselves as colonial mandates. However before the Ottoman Empire could physically comply, Turkish revolutionaries led by overthrew the sultanate, and began the foundation of a Turkish republic. However by refusing to take on Mehmed VI’s legacy bt complying to the terms set forth by the Treaty of Sèvres, Atatürk’s republic would have to face war with the Allies. Greece, Italy, and Britain declared war on the Turkish republic simultaneously, but months into the war, Italy handed its responsibilities to its Allies, followed by Britian, which allowed the Hellenic military council to take full command. Atatürk surrendered for armistice in 1921 once Greek forces occupied all land west of the . Italy had no gains, Britain gained control of Cyprus, and Greece annexed all Turkish land it had gained in the war. 'Interwar Period' Most Balkan countries increased in and other forms of material improvement during the , although much of it was made possible by international bank loans that transferred to . A allowed Greece to pay off most of its loan debts, but Bulgaria and Yugoslavia did not have that particular benefit. Thus their economies plummeted during the . Albania was clutched tight under the political agenda of the Kingdom of Italy, at the same time “father of fascism,” Benito Mussolini came to power. In 1929, Albania became an absolute monarchy under the leadership of King Zog I, who had earlier persuaded the Albanian Parliament to vote itself out of existence. After a few years, his dictatorial rule gradually became unpopular, and would lead to civil war at the height of World War II. The Twenties simultaneously saw the evolution of Greek irredentism. The evolution is believed to have occurred in Greek Orthodox parishes, opening their doors to non-Greeks during World War I and the Russian Civil War. It is believed that Ecumenical Patriarch coined the term “Neo-Byzantine” in this time. It is still debated whether his religious messages at the time directly called for, or only suggested, the revival of the Byzantine Empire. Nonetheless, the message became popular as it spread across religious establishment in Greece. It is believed that the transformation of the message into a social agenda began with Greek Orthodox fraternity groups and associated university students. Many believed that a “Megali Greece” had to be extended to surrounding members of the Orthodox World now that the reign of Imperial Russia was over. 'Establishment of the Empire' With the growing popularity of Neo-Byzantinism, Venizelos himself embraced the movement and made it a national agenda. Consulting religious leaders, Venizelos penned the “Revolutionary Morning Revival,” a Neo-Byzantine pamphlet that was printed in different languages and placed within Orthodox Bibles, which were shipped to other nations of Neo-Byzantine interest. When refugees returned home, they brought their experiences to their families and many became Neo-Byzantines. The Great Depression took a quick toll on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. By 1930, thousands were out of work. Among Yugoslavian aristocracy, the Serbs were the most powerful. King of Yugoslavia, an ethnic Serb, was easily persuaded by close aristocrats to approve bureaucracy’s decisions to provide government aid to Serbs. This angered other ethnic groups, and their political leaders accused the Serbs of a hegemony. This descended into ethnic civil war in Yugoslavia in 1931. Refugees poured into Greece, but Venizelos decided that the war was their chance to begin the revival of the Byzantine Empire. The Hellenic armed forces launched a full scale occupation of Yugoslavia, putting down violence in the region. Countries and dependencies Greater Kingdom of Greece 'Cyprus' Kingdom of Bulgaria Kingdom of Serbia 'Montenegro' 'Kosovo' Kingdom of Albania Kingdom of Romania Slavic Union 'Bosnia' 'Herzegovina' 'Croatia' 'Dalmatia' 'Slavonia' 'Istria' 'Alexandria' 'Greek Cyrenaica' 'Constantinople' Government Covenant of Constantinople Executive Branch 'Basileus' 'Prime Minister' 'Imperial Cabinet Administration' Legislative Branch 'Premier of the Senate' 'Imperial Senate' Judicial Branch 'Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople' 'Supreme Judicial Council' Government finance Military Legal Status Foreign relations Geography, climate, and environment Wildlife Demographics Population Language State religion Law enforcement and crime Economy Income, poverty, and wealth Education Higher learning Culture Cuisine Architecture Literature, philosophy, and the arts Music and dance Fashion Cinema Sports Marriage Women National holidays Tourism See Also